Only few visitors realize that Notre-Dame cathedral is situated on an island: The Île de la Cité.

This island is, like the Île Saint-Louis, one of the natural islands that are on the Seine. "The Island of the City" is the epicenter of the capital and the birthplace of Paris.

The past of the Île de la Cité

Around 200 a.C. The Celtic tribe of the Parisii settled on the island to found the city of Lutecia. The city was grewing and prospering, until becoming the capital of the kingdom and acquiring the name of Cité, in the year 506.

The Île de la Cité , after becoming a fortified city, had to withstand the continuous attacks of the Norman troops. During the Middle Ages the city already possessed an important nucleus of population, becoming the cultura, political and spiritual center of France.

Things to do here

The Île de la Cité is, without any doubt, one of the main pleasant areas of Paris, and there are some of the most important attractions of the city, such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Palais de Justice, Place Dauphine, the Sainte Chapelle, the Conciergerie and, at the east side of the island, the Deportation Memorial for the French victims of the Nazi concentration camps during the World War II.

Also interesting the "Pont Neuf" (new bridge), the oldest remaining bridge in the whole city, the Square du Vert Galant (a "must view" beautiful parc visited every day for tourists and locals).

In addition to monuments and historical buildings, this district offers pleasant streets and places to stroll where you can find beautiful places such as the flower market of Place Louis Lépine.